Night of the Living Dead (1990) - Out of Print

[Flex Mentallo]

Really weird thread here. Jamison and Redmond are restoration experts. These two individually have over twenty plus years of experience in the restoration/home video business. I'm sure when they got the master one or both of these guys watched it. Maybe they questioned the look and maybe they didn't (I don't think they did as the front cover and insert booklet are actual representations of whats on the blu ray - zombie(s) awash in blacks to indicate a zombie attack in the middle of the night).

They are contractually obligated to release what is given to them. That has been stated over and over again since day one. And as long as the disc, menus, audio, etc. play fine, there is no defect.

As film purists I know we all want the film to look as we remember. At the same time, filmakers, dp's producers, etc. alter and change movies all the time (screenplay, actors, lighting, editing, etc.) like what William Friedkin did with The French Connection. If you don't like it I totally get that which is why the refund is the best option anyone really has. Normally, after one opens the DVD/blu ray packing you rarely get a refund just an exchange. Offering a full refund goes above and beyond what Twilight Time/SAE have to offer anyone.

The bickering is pointless. If you like it (or pawn it off on ebay) keep it. If not, return it and get a refund.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if this BD master was created using part of Savini's commentary (he does say he was looking for a dark, gloomy look in that opening) some notes from the DP (can't remember his name) and notes from producer Menaham Golan (a notoriously hands on producer who has also done some directing here and there). This new look was most definitely not created by accident or by some overzealous intern/technician, etc.

[xiaNaix]

Originally Posted by Flex Mentallo

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if this BD master was created using part of Savini's commentary (he does say he was looking for a dark, gloomy look in that opening) some notes from the DP (can't remember his name) and notes from producer Menaham Golan (a notoriously hands on producer who has also done some directing here and there). This new look was most definitely not created by accident or by some overzealous intern/technician, etc.

What he said was that he wanted a dark look in the opening but ended up loving the way it turned out in broad daylight because of the stark contrast to later scenes. There is already a transition from day to night in the movie and the new color grading completely ruins that effect. It also makes no sense when you have sun blaring off people's foreheads and giant shadows from daylight even though everything now looks like it's supposed to be evening. The new color correction simply does not look correct and has no basis in reality.

[risky1975]

i might be late on this but im not going through this thread but this is what Don May Jr. had to say on Letterboxed and i could not agree more with him " Much ado has been raised online about the "look" of the new Blu release of this film from Twilight Time. Having just watched it, I can honestly say that some of the criticisms have been GREATLY exaggerated. Yes, the film is much darker on the Blu, and the color palette has been muted... but it actually DOES work for the film. It is a different look, but it adds a sense of dread and creepiness that the original prints did not have. Does this make it right? No, because the film isn't exactly the way the director intended... but as a piece of "revisionist" work, this new transfer of NOTLD90 is a winner in my book. Stop reading all the reviews and take a look for yourself on a PROPERLY calibrated television, and you might agree with me."

GET OVER IT PEOPLE!

[Whirlygig]

Originally Posted by bboisvert

We're in a current retail situation where a major studio (MGM/Fox) has released Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

With downright amazing video quality, and retailing at $7.98 during release week, no less.

On the one hand you've got people saying that older catalog titles are even more unlikely to be released on Blu-ray than they were on DVD, and on the other you see things like this happening. You see them doing more and more older TV shows (which people claimed would never happen). It looks to me like they finally have breathing room and confidence to start mining the older, less "popular" titles, and it has finally become economic for them.

But apparently people think Sony is somehow different and doesn't care. Maybe because Blu-ray has finally stopped bringing in the returns they engineered it to yield, and they're now dedicating all available resources to working in-house on their next overpriced Blu-ray killer?

When TT says "unlikely to be released in the future", I think they really mean, "unlikely to be released in the next 3 years since our contract forbids it".

[sheldo]

Originally Posted by Z0MBI3

I myself, really like my movies to be as the director and dp, etc wanted them to be. Because I'm that way.. I do believe I'll just throw mine up to ebay if TT doesn't release anything else within a week. It's been fun reading all the comments though

We haven't got the most important post we need yet, we NEED Savini or the DP to weigh in on this whole thing. If either says it looks not as intended then we have decision to grin and bear it or get rid, if either say it's awful then ebay is going to have a lot of friends.

Originally Posted by Whirlygig

Holy crap, these guys are sure being harassed. If I were them I would probably be about to punch a hole in the wall.

A nice heads up that it's going to look this way before charging $30 for something that gets reviewed AFTER it sells out would avoid that. No sympathy for them.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by bboisvert

We're in a current retail situation where a major studio (MGM/Fox) has released Killer Klowns from Outer Space. And where niche labels like Shout are putting out things like Deadly Blessing and Death Valley.

Romero's Living Dead films have always done well on home video. Anchor Bay has milked Dawn and Day over and over...

Sony controls all rights to NOTLD90, not those other studios. If MGM had owned NOTLD, it surely would have been released as a normal catalog title through their distribution agreement with Fox. But MGM has a much different approach to Blu-ray releases than Sony, mostly re-using their DVD-era HD masters and re-issuing them on Blu-ray.

There are studios like Paramount where NOTLD90 would likely have never seen the light of day on BD. Sony has largely abandoned marginal selling catalog properties on Blu-ray like NOTLD90, due to internal pressures at the company and external market forces.

[Dickieduvet]

Originally Posted by Flex Mentallo

This new look was most definitely not created by accident or by some overzealous intern/technician, etc.

I beg to differ, The Director wasn't aware of the the change surely he would of been at least notified or consulted at some point!

It just doesn't look natural or professional at all...

What's jarring is the sunlight that is so obviously there is bouncing off everything from the car to the clothes and even Tony Todd's forehead yet it's as dark hell!

[AndrewFM]

Originally Posted by risky1975

i might be late on this but im not going through this thread but this is what Don May Jr. had to say on Letterboxed and i could not agree more with him " Much ado has been raised online about the "look" of the new Blu release of this film from Twilight Time. Having just watched it, I can honestly say that some of the criticisms have been GREATLY exaggerated. Yes, the film is much darker on the Blu, and the color palette has been muted... but it actually DOES work for the film. It is a different look, but it adds a sense of dread and creepiness that the original prints did not have. Does this make it right? No, because the film isn't exactly the way the director intended... but as a piece of "revisionist" work, this new transfer of NOTLD90 is a winner in my book. Stop reading all the reviews and take a look for yourself on a PROPERLY calibrated television, and you might agree with me."

GET OVER IT PEOPLE!

source? what's "Letterboxed"?

[Z0MBI3]

Originally Posted by sheldo

We haven't got the most important post we need yet, we NEED Savini or the DP to weigh in on this whole thing. If either says it looks not as intended then we have decision to grin and bear it or get rid, if either say it's awful then ebay is going to have a lot of friends.



A nice heads up that it's going to look this way before charging $30 for something that gets reviewed AFTER it sells out would avoid that. No sympathy for them.

I agree that we do, I'm not jumping to conclusions. I'm not listing it on ebay yet either. I'll wait to see what's what.

[HyperRealist]

Originally Posted by risky1975

i might be late on this but im not going through this thread but this is what Don May Jr. had to say on Letterboxed and i could not agree more with him " Much ado has been raised online about the "look" of the new Blu release of this film from Twilight Time. Having just watched it, I can honestly say that some of the criticisms have been GREATLY exaggerated. Yes, the film is much darker on the Blu, and the color palette has been muted... but it actually DOES work for the film. It is a different look, but it adds a sense of dread and creepiness that the original prints did not have. Does this make it right? No, because the film isn't exactly the way the director intended... but as a piece of "revisionist" work, this new transfer of NOTLD90 is a winner in my book. Stop reading all the reviews and take a look for yourself on a PROPERLY calibrated television, and you might agree with me."

GET OVER IT PEOPLE!

Looks like I won't be buying any Synapse Blu-rays.

[Daemonia]

Hmmmm....this was a long thread.

Listen, there is no debate here. This transfer is all wrong. There is a specific scene that shows the sun setting and the moon rising. Does it get dark in your part of the world while the sun is still shining? You must live in a damn strange place then.

The film has clear, visual indicators as to where the true transition from day to night should be. Whoever altered this film in this way is a moron. It's not alright and this should never have been done. Did they not notice the transition scenes of day-to-night? Was this transferred by a blind, one-armed monkey in the garden shed? I'm truly baffled. This debate shouldn't even be taking place. TT/Sony should have delivered an HD version of the film as it's always been intended to be. If the filmmakers had truly intended the early sequences to be day-for-night, that transition sequence would never have been shot, much less included in the finished film. Now what part of this don't you understand? A scene showing suneset and nightfall - I mean, do you want detailed instructions? How far do we need to go to spell this out for people? It's WRONG. No amount of saying otherwise will make it so.

[risky1975]

Originally Posted by sheldo

We haven't got the most important post we need yet, we NEED Savini or the DP to weigh in on this whole thing.

i wouldn't hold my breath... i doubt they will say anything soon.. im betting that if Savini sees it he is going to like it.. it flat out improves to tone of the film

[AndrewFM]

Anybody? What's "Letterboxed"? Is it a podcast or something?

(please no definitions of the term "letterboxed")

[xiaNaix]

Originally Posted by AndrewFM

source? what's "Letterboxed"?

http://letterboxd.com/donmayjr/film/...ing-dead-1990/

[risky1975]

Originally Posted by AndrewFM

Anybody? What's "Letterboxed"? Is it a podcast or something?

(please no definitions of the term "letterboxed")

http://letterboxd.com/donmayjr/film/...ing-dead-1990/

[Dickieduvet]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

Hmmmm....this was a long thread.

Listen, there is no debate here. This transfer is all wrong. There is a specific scene that shows the sun setting and the moon rising. Does it get dark in your part of the world while the sun is still shining? You must live in a damn strange place then.

The film has clear, visual indicators as to where the true transition from day to night should be. Whoever altered this film in this way is a moron. It's not alright and this should never have been done. Did they not notice the transition scenes of day-to-night? Was this transferred by a blind, one-armed monkey in the garden shed? I'm truly baffled. This debate shouldn't even be taking place. TT/Sony should have delivered an HD version of the film as it's always been intended to be. If the filmmakers had truly intended the early sequences to be day-for-night, that transition sequence would never have been shot, much less included in the finished film. Now what part of this don't you understand? A scene showing suneset and nightfall - I mean, do you want detailed instructions? How far do we need to go to spell this out for people? It's WRONG. No amount of saying otherwise will make it so.

Best post in this thread thus far Agree 1000%

[AndrewFM]

Originally Posted by xiaNaix

http://letterboxd.com/donmayjr/film/...ing-dead-1990/

Thank you, my friend. 3 and half stars, eh? A lot of people hated what he did to TCM but I loved that disc. Maybe he has a grudge, or maybe he's right, I'll see tomorrow

[xiaNaix]

He didn't really say anything controversial.

"As a piece of "revisionist" work, this new transfer of NOTLD90 is a winner in my book."

The problem is that I don't think the majority of people who ordered the disc would have done so had they know this was going to be a "revised" version without having seen it first.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by The Real Horror

Like, has anyone seen a comment by ROlockCK from Twilight Time about this problem? That cat has been whistling Dixie while chewing gum, eh? Likely to wet yourself when doing THAT. Go figure.

I live in the Canadian Rockies. My order hasn't arrived yet...probably won't have it until the weekend. So I have nothing to say on any of this until I see the actual disc.

Thank you for your interest though. Carry on...

[bboisvert]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

Hmmmm....this was a long thread.

Listen, there is no debate here. This transfer is all wrong. There is a specific scene that shows the sun setting and the moon rising. Does it get dark in your part of the world while the sun is still shining? You must live in a damn strange place then.

The film has clear, visual indicators as to where the true transition from day to night should be. Whoever altered this film in this way is a moron. It's not alright and this should never have been done. Did they not notice the transition scenes of day-to-night? Was this transferred by a blind, one-armed monkey in the garden shed? I'm truly baffled. This debate shouldn't even be taking place. TT/Sony should have delivered an HD version of the film as it's always been intended to be. If the filmmakers had truly intended the early sequences to be day-for-night, that transition sequence would never have been shot, much less included in the finished film. Now what part of this don't you understand? A scene showing suneset and nightfall - I mean, do you want detailed instructions? How far do we need to go to spell this out for people? It's WRONG. No amount of saying otherwise will make it so.

+1

This post should be stickied at the top of the thread. Clear and to the point, regardless of what Sony eventually presents as the "truth" of this.